The Colorado Angler Fishing Report – January 23, 2016
January 23rd, 2016
The Colorado Angler Fly Fishing Report
Plan your next fishing trip knowing you’ll arrive without any surprises. Our professional fishing reports are updated weekly with stream and river flows, recommended flies, equipment, and special fishing tips for the most important fly-fishing destinations in Colorado. To see a detailed fishing report for a specific river, simply scroll below to read more specific information on a particular stretch of river. Make sure to check those out for your river of interest, as they will be able to answer questions pertaining to hatches and flies. Understanding how fisheries change during the year, as well as how to approach them is key to growing an angler’s skill set. We hope you use this invaluable information to your advantage. Please feel free to call us at The Colorado Angler, at any time to discuss any questions and concerns you may have about the current conditions. Or stop by and see us in the Summit Place shopping center in Silverthorne, next to Blue Moon Bakery, Exit 205 on I-70, then south 1 block. Call: Toll Free 855-CO TROUT (268-7688) Spring Hours: Monday – Saturday 7 am – 6 pm, Sunday 8 am – 5 pm
Recent Update: January 23, 2016
Finally. We are back with current data. Our apologies for some technical difficulties that have left us behind in the report. Hopefully we have that all worked out as we reboot our platform to a more mobile friendly system. Winter fishing has been anywhere from fair to fantastic depending on location and the particular day. As is the case at this time of year, there are very limited options but, what is available has been offering die-hards enough of a fix to get through this deepest part of winter. The bulk of the action will be on the obvious tailwaters such as Dillon, Green Mtn, the Pan, as well as Platte River locations. However, there are a few overlooked locations out there worth giving a try, as well. See below. For those of you that are not familiar with winter fishing, a couple of things to note. It is a very different experience than you may be used to if you only fish during prime summer conditions. For one, it’s butt-ass cold. But, not everyday and not even all day. So, pick your window of opportunity. It’s not necessary to get out there at the crack of dawn. If might help you get on the water ahead of the tailwater crowds but, you don’t need to do it to find some action. In fact, on the freestone options it will be better for you to wait a little bit, until the “heat” of the day stirs a little activity in the river. Second. The “action” is typically a little less robust than summer. We like to call it a deliberate style of fishing. You may need to make substantially more drifts to a fish before it eats. At this time of year fish are all about conserving their energy and feeding with the least amount of effort possible. It may take 27 drifts for the fly to pass by a given fish in just the right light to convince him to suck it in as it bounces of his nose. Be patient. Be thorough. With that in mind, dress warm. Be careful removing the ice from your guides and have fun. Detailed reports below will give more specific information on a particular stretch of river. Make sure to check those out for your river of interest, as they will be able to answer questions pertaining to hatches and flies. |
Blue River Below Dillon Reservoir |
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| Flow: 78 cfs. | |
| Conditions: Winter fishing remains very strong even as temperatures recently bottomed out well below zero. Although flows are low and clear, the actual release from the dam is above average for this time of year. With that in mind, we recommend tippet at minimum of 5x, with 6x being ideal, Fluoro or mono based on angler preference. Action has been solid on a wide range of nymphs including everything from the typical tailwater shrimp and midge imitations, as well as eggs and worms and even larger searching patterns. Due to the stability of water temperatures coming from the dam, the time of day hasn’t mattered with regards to feeding. That has been fairly steady throughout the day. However, early seems to be more productive until the wade traffic on the river starts to impact fish comfort. As well, later in the day as anglers dwindle the fish regain a little bit of stability and resume feeding. Including into the evening hours. The biggest surprise for most anglers will be the potential for crowds. Yes it is the dead of winter and temperatures at times have been downright brutal BUT, with limited options at this time of year, it only takes a few hardcore anglers with a jonez to fish to make the river seem overly crowded. Throw in the fact that town has been on fire and there are some days where it is downright congested. This is the point where we lobby for courtesy and etiquette to win out over self interest and ego. Be patient and show your fellow angler a little courtesy by not crowding into water that may not support more than one angler. Take a look up or downstream and come back to that spot later in the day.
Town Flies: Stalcup’s Mysis, BTS Mysis or any other Mysis that you like, Desert Storm, Rainbow Warrior, Black Beauty, Brassie, UV Emerger, Biot Midge, Lil Spanker, Tungsten Psycho May-Black, Kingery’s Cap’n Hook, Tube Midge – Black or Red, RS-2 – Black or Dun, WD40 – Black or Chocolate, Two Bit Hooker, Zebra Midge, Otter Soft Milking Egg, Bead Eggs, Wooly Bugger Black or Olive, Pat’s Rubber Legs, Flossy Worn. And work in a streamer every once in a while, as well. Often over looked but, randomly deadly. |
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Blue River Below Green Mountain |
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| Flow: 221 cfs. | |
| Conditions: Another decent winter option, with a couple of caveats. First, it is colder in the canyon than just about anywhere else on the planet in the winter. B.) Be very careful getting to the river from the parking area. The phrase “slide for life” comes to mind. If you are prepared for those two realities then you should be fine. Not as steady of action down here as back up in Silverthorne but, a much more laid back scene. Nymph rigs with a good mix of Midge and Baetis patterns are the primary approach but, it is also a good bet to anchor those set-ups with some larger bugs or eggs. Strong populations of Green Drake and PMD nymphs make those a potential all year. As well, there are a couple of different Stoneflies present, which will molt throughout the year making them more available as they dislodge and drift. 5-6x tippet will cover most presentations and make sure to keep your weight sightly heavier than you think you need. If you are not tapping bottom every 4 to 6 drifts you may need a little more. We like to fish with a #10 – 14 imitation for the Drake or Stone on top and drop the smaller imitations for the Midge or Baetis behind that on 6x. You can also substitute an egg for that lead fly. At this level, crossing the river is not a problem. Although, it is slick and a swim is not out of the question so, wade safe.
Flies: Big bead heads: Tungsten Split Case Green Drake, Hare’s Ear, Tungteaser, Pheasant Tail, Stubby Stone, Twenty Incher, Rubberlegs, Psycho Prince, Mr Peacock Ice, Flossy Worm. The Smaller Stuff: RS-2, Tung Psycho May, Split Case BWO, Barr’s BWO, Juju Baetis, Zebra Midge, Poison Tung, Winter Baetis, Black Beauty, Rojo Midge, Rainbow Warrior, Big Spanker, Otter Egg. Floaters should note: The river volume on this stretch of water can change on an infrequent schedule and often. It is important to know the flow before you launch and make an honest assessment of your ability and watercraft capability. Please respect private property rights along the river. At 1,500 cfs the bridges are impassable. Under 500 become questionable for clearance of certain boats. |
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Colorado River Above Kremmling (Parshall)
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| Flow: 100 cfs. +/- @ Parshall (A guess, as the gauge is iced up) | |
| Conditions: Always a decent option in winter, things have been hit or miss here recently. With the annual deep freeze hitting the valley over the holidays and flows being at seasonal lows, ice had closed in a little higher up on the public water than normal (starting at the bridge pool just below the kids pond parking area). There has been some improvement over the past week but, we would caution anglers to expect flow ice in the early part of the day from the bridge down. There have been days where the channel is open all the way down to Sunset Ranch, it is all temperature dependent. On the upper stretch of the Breeze access (as well as lower reaches on those nice days) we would recommend straight up nymph rigs with a two fly set-up. Baetis and Midge imitations will be the majority of action but, we also like small Caddis and Stonefly imitations, as well. 6x tippet will be ideal and make sure to add weight accordingly throughout the day. Early in the day expect long slow drifts in the classic winter holding water to be most productive. Takes will be very subtle, as slow currents and slower fish will make almost no impact on indicators. As the temperature warms mid-day, there may be some increase in activity along seams and below riffles as fish move to feed on drifting nymphs.
Flies: Biot Midge, Barr’s Emerger, Magic Fly, Lil Spanker, Disco Midge, UV Emerger, RS-2, WD40, Tube Midge, Zebra Midge, Noon Midge, Pure Midge Larva-Pale Olive, Brassie, Buckskin #18-20, Pheasant Tail #18-22, Black Copper John #20-22 |
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Colorado River Pumphouse to Dotsero |
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| Flow: 525 cfs. @ Pumphouse | |
| Conditions: Ice. Well, okay, there is some open water but, that is pretty few and far between. And what is open will be butt-cold. Not saying that there isn’t the slightest bit of potential to catch something, just saying that it is pretty slim. Should start to break up mid- February but, generally it takes until late March – early April to consistently produce.
Flies: Pat’s Rubber Legs, BH Hares Ear, BH Prince etc |
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Colorado Below Glenwood Springs |
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| Flow: 1,250 cfs. | |
| Conditions: Another decent winter option that gets overlooked. It is big water and wading can be a tough endeavor the first time or two but, once you get dialed in on where to access and where the fish are holding, results can be solid. This stretch consistently produces some of the nicest Rainbows on the Colorado River. Tandem nymph rigs with a mix of Baetis and Midge imitations trailed behind mid-sized beaded searching patterns – like Tungteasers, Pheasant Tails, Hare’s Ears etc- can be productive. And being farther down the drainage in the bigger water, tippet size jumps up to 4x and 5x. Focus on the slower water just off of the deeper seams early, then move to the seams adjacent the current and deep pockets as the day warms up. As with all winter nymphing make sure to have enough weight on to get you down to where the fish are sheltering. If you don’t tap the bottom every 4 to 6 drifts, make an adjustment to either your weight, depth or both. Not only is this a good wade fishing destination, there is plenty of open water for float fishing, as well. South Canyon ramp is closed for the season but, Two Rivers, Tibbets, New Castle and Silt are all open.
Flies: Mr Peacock Ice, Pat’s Rubber Legs, Tungteaser, Bead Prince, Hot Wire Prince, Twenty Incher, Tungsten Pheasant Tail, Bead Hares Ear, San Juan Worm patterns, Zebra Midge, Lil Spanker, Tung Psycho May, Big Spanker, Rainbow Warrior, Magic Fly, RS-2
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Arkansas River Above Buena Vista |
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| Flow: 275 +/- cfs. @ Granite. | |
| Conditions: Mostly ice in the upper valley but, there is some open water in the stretch just below lake creek in Balltown. It might be worth a go on a sunny day. Tandem nymph rigs with a mix of Baetis, Midge and small searching patterns using 5-6x tippet. Focus on the slow deep runs with quiet water off of the main channel. Flows are above average at the moment due to and ongoing water transfer from Twin Lakes into the Arkansas. This will help keep the open water stretch available a substantial distance downstream from the confluence than usual. Anything above the confluence with Lake Creek will be locked up in ice.
Flies: Rainbow Warrior, Brassie, Zebra, Midge, Tung Psycho May, Lil Spanker, Big Spanker, Two bit Hooker, Beaded Hares Ear, Hot Wire Prince, Beaded Pheasant Tail, Copper John, CDC Hares Ear, Twenty Incher, Mr Peacock, Flossy Worm |
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Arkansas River Salida Area
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| Flow: 489 cfs. @ Salida | |
| Conditions: Robust winter flows at the moment due to an ongoing water transfer down the Arkansas. This has helped to keep the river open for the most part this winter. However, with the extreme cold over the holidays, there has been a greater amount of flow ice in the past few weeks. That will come and go depending on overnight lows but, with the days getting longer and temperatures stabilizing the river has been in good shape, particularly in the Salida valley area. Early in the day focus on the winter holding water adjacent to deeper seams where fish can hold up with limited energy. As the day warms and fish move to feed adjust your efforts to the slow side of those seams or to the flats and runs at the bottom of riffles where fish may position to feed on drifting nymphs. Tandem nymph rigs with a mix of beaded searching patterns and small stones trailing a mix of Baetis and Midge imitations will cover most of the food choices. With the added volume you might be able to get away with 5x on your top fly but, we would drop to 6x for the trailer to improve your odds.
Flies: Beadhead Pheasant Tail, Beadhead Prince, Beadhead Hare’s Ear, Red or Chartreuse Copper John, Hot Wire Prince, Tungteaser, Tungstone, Biot Epoxyback Stone, Iron Sally, Psycho Prince, Duracell Jig, Zebra Midge, Poison Tung, Rainbow Warrior, Brassie, Lil Spanker, Big Spanker, Micro Mayfly, Split Case BWO, Magic Fly |
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Roaring Fork River at Glenwood Springs |
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| Flow: 450 +/- cfs. | |
| Conditions: Another solid winter option for wade anglers. Action has been consistent along the lower river in the Glenwood area, with moments of good fishing upstream towards Basalt. Mid-day has been most productive with tandem nymph rigs, using 4 – 6x tippet. As is typical with most freestones at this time of year, Baetis and Midges will comprise the majority of the activity but, we have been seeing some decent results on medium to larger searching nymphs, along with some stonefly patterns. With that in mind, anchor your set-up with one of those larger bugs and trail the Baetis and Midge stuff behind. Early in the day look for fish to be sheltered in the quiet water with little to no current. As the day warms and the sun hits the water look for fish to move to the slower water just off of seams and towards the tails of runs. Once there are drifting nymphs those fish may move up towards the middle and even head of the run to feed on those active bugs. This is a great early spring freestone that generally starts to get fairly productive as we move into early to mid-February and current indications are that it is on shcedule.
Flies: Twenty Incher #12-14, Tungteaser #12-14, Beaded Pheasant Tail #12-14, Pat’s Rubber Legs #8-10, Beaded Hares Ear #12-14, Mr. Peacock, CDC Prince #12-16, Hot Wire Prince #12-16, Standard Pheasant Tail #18-20, Tung Psycho May, Rainbow Warrior Black or Red, Juju Baetis, Lil Spanker, Big Spanker, Duracell Jig, Root Beer Float, Biot Midge Zebra Midge |
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South Platte River, Middle Fork |
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| Flow: 15 +/- cfs. | |
| Conditions: Ice and snow have the river locked up until March at the earliest.
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South Platte, Dream Stream |
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| Flow: 62 cfs. | |
| Conditions: Stable winter flows, low and clear. Action has been fair, with the extreme cold and wind of the past few weeks limiting angler enthusiasm. Always worth a look if you are in the neighborhood but, keep in mind how those South Park winds can whip up and leave you exposed. Focus on the winter water with slower current that provide cover for fish. 6x is ideal and if you have it, 7x might help with presentation. Tandem nymph rigs with a mix of Baetis and Midge imitations. Still a little early for the first big push of lake fish but, that should be right around the corner before the end of February. Flies: Loop Wing Emerger, Pure Midge Larva Black or Pale Olive, Black, Red, Chartreuse Copper John, Juju Baetis, Buckskin, Caddis Larva, Hunchback Scud, Poxybiot Nymph, Desert Storm Chartreuse, Tube Midge, Poison Tung, Zebra Midge Black/Silver, Barr’s Emerger BWO, RS2, Poxybiot Nymph, Egg Patterns, Cap’n Hook, Disco Midge, San Juan Work variations |
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Williams Fork River Below Dam |
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| Flow: 68 cfs. | |
| Conditions: A decent flow for mid-winter. Action has been fair, with extreme cold ushering in the new year. Typical tailwater nymph imitations for Baetis and Midges on 6x tippet. Focus on the classic “winter water” where fish have a chance to shelter from the majority of current, as well as predators.
Flies: Poxy Biot Nymph, Buckskin, Flossy Worm, Little Brown Bug, Two Bit Hooker, Flash Back Pheasant Tail, Split Case BWO, Big Bear Baetis, Tungsten Psycho May BWO, Pure Midge Larva, Rainbow Warrior, Rojo Midge, Biot mayfly Emerger, #20-22 Green Copper John, Zebra Midge, RS2’s, 5-0 Midge, UV Emerger |
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Eagle River |
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| Flow: 85 cfs | |
| Conditions: Winter fishing has been decent in the few spots of open water that have been available. The extreme cold temperatures over the new year helped to limit that, as lower reaches of the valley saw a narrowing of the channel to full on freeze over. With the coldest nights of the winter hopefully behind us, look for additional water to open up quickly. By mid-February much of the river is in play and with eager resident fish looking to add calories. Tandem nymph rigs with a mix of Baetis and Midge imitations on 6x tippet will be most productive. However, medium sized searching patterns are always effective as part of that two fly set-up. In the upper valley there will be open water in Avon just below the water treatment plant. Look for that to expand downstream as day time temps begin to climb in the valley as daylight increases. Further down valley, the public access in and around Gypsum will offer increasing options.
Flies: Pat’s Rubber Legs, Tungteaser, Bead Head Hare’s Ear, Psycho Prince, Bead Head Pheasant Tail, Buckskin Caddis, Lil Spanker, Big Spanker, Root Beer Float, Tung Psycho May, RS-2, Zebra Midge, Standard Pheasant Tail 18-22, Tube Midge, Desert Storm, Barr’s Emerger, Juju stuff. |
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Spinney Mountain Reservoir |
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| Conditions: Ice. Closed for the season. Ice fishing is prohibited and the Park will not reopen until the lake is entirely ice free. Most likely mid-May.
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Delaney Buttes Lakes |
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| Conditions: Ice. Fishing is allowed and action has been sloooowww. Flies: Jigs, Pink and White |
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